The invention relates to a volumetric apparatus for milk for use by milking plants in the direct measurement of the quantity of milk collected from a cow in milking, which comprises a vacuum separating chamber for separation of the milk from the milk-air mixture drawn from the cow and, following said separating chamber, a measuring chamber for the milk which at its lower end is provided with a milk outlet opening adapted to be closed by a valve plug and associated with a measuring means.
The invention further relates to a method of measuring the total quantity of milk collected from a cow in milking.
A volumetric apparatus for milk of the type mentioned is known from German patent application DOS 28 10 376. In that apparatus, the separating chamber is connected to the measuring chamber through a milk inlet opening that can be closed by a valve plug. That valve plug is attached to a positioning rod whose lower end carries a further valve plug through which the milk outlet opening provided in the bottom of the measuring chamber can be closed. When the milk inlet opening is opened by the upper valve plug, the milk outlet opening of the measuring chamber is closed by the lower valve plug, and vice versa.
In that apparatus, the separating chamber must be provided with a pipe connection for a vacuum pipe. During operation, milk vapors will penetrate into that vacuum pipe, which therefore has to be cleaned.
When the milk inlet opening leading to the measuring chamber is closed, the milk collected from the cow must be accommodated by the separating chamber, which must be dimensioned accordingly. Valve control with a positioning rod and two valve plugs is expensive to implement and also results in different pressure conditions in the separating chamber and the measuring chamber.